The NFL Combine is here, and there are countless athletes ready to show off and make themselves a lot of money when it comes to the 2024 NFL Draft. This year, the event is taking place from Monday, Feb. 26, until Monday, Mar. 4.
The Combine features a plethora of different drills, allowing teams to gauge the skill, strength, and athleticism of different players at different positions. One of those drills is the bench press. What is the average bench press at the NFL Combine?
What Is the NFL Combine’s Average Bench Press?
The NFL Scouting Combine takes place in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It started in 1982, with teams holding individual visits prior to then.
In addition to the on-field portion, there’s a plethora of interviews and medical evaluations as well, all playing important roles in the process.
The bench press, however, is pretty straightforward. Players who choose to participate in this drill will see how many times they can press 225 pounds consecutively. Additionally, they have a spotter who also counts their reps.
Ultimately, the average bench press depends on the position group doing it. However, here’s a list of the different position groups and their average.
Quarterbacks and specialists have no average, with most players in those groups opting not to participate.
- Linemen: 30-39
- Tight Ends: 25-30
- Linebackers: 25-30
- Running Backs: 20-25
- Wide Receivers: 15-20
- Defensive Backs: 15-20
The Combine record for bench press came in 2011, when defensive tackle Stephen Paea out of Oregon State set it with 49 reps of 225 pounds. To make it sound even crazier, that’s 11,025 pounds of weight. He was later selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL.
49 REPS OF 225 POUNDS 😱
The best bench press performance in #NFLCombine history, courtesy of Stephen Paea in 2011 @PAEA_90 @BeaverFootball pic.twitter.com/U4E74cNkaX
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) February 22, 2019
While it was mentioned earlier that most quarterbacks and specialists opt out of participation in the event, sometimes they don’t. In 2020, punter Michael Turk out of Arizona State put up 25 reps on the bench press, a record for the position. Turk never made an NFL roster, however.
Some other players who have put up impressive bench press performances include Mitch Petrus (2010), Jeff Owens (2010), Dontari Poe (2012), and Russell Bodine (2014). Yet, none came close to Paea’s performance.
When it comes to the 2024 participants, there are not many who have a chance to surpass Paea, but there’s always a chance. In my opinion, there are two players who have a chance in 2024 to make history, both being linemen.
First up is Texas defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat. The projected second-round pick is 6’4″, 362 pounds, and is one of the biggest players in the draft. He’s infamously known for his power and immovability. At Texas, he had a team-best 445-pound bench press.
Next is someone Sweat played against: JC Latham, Alabama’s right tackle. Standing at 6’6″, 360 pounds, he’s one of the biggest and strongest linemen in not just this draft but recent memory.
KEEP READING: NFL Combine Records — 40 Times, Bench Press, Vertical Jump, and More
In the summer of 2023, Latham was reportedly benching 505 pounds and squatting over 1,000 pounds.
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